Mallinder: Saints so proud of milestone man Foden

Tom Vickers

Jim Mallinder says Saints are ‘immensely proud’ of Ben Foden as the full-back prepares to make his 200th appearance for the club.

Foden will line up in the 15 shirt at Sixways on Friday night as Mallinder’s men take on Worcester Warriors in an Aviva Premiership clash.

And the 31-year-old will reach a major milestone in the process, becoming the 55th player to hit a double hundred in the green, black and gold.

Foden moved to Saints from Sale Sharks in 2008 and has gone on to help the club to win the Aviva Premiership for the first time.

He has been a stable feature of the side and has also shown his worth for England, winning 34 Test caps.

And Mallinder said: “To see Fodes get his 200 for us is really pleasing.

“We’ve got a number of players at that stage of their careers at Saints (Dylan Hartley, Lee Dickson and Stephen Myler have also hit 200 appearances), and that experience is invaluable to us.

“It’s the experience of Ben and the other senior players that has underpinned our success as a club and allows us to bring younger players in with confidence, knowing these guys will show them the way.

“They’ve built a strong culture within the playing squad, which is also important.

“Seeing Ben develop over the years from being a player with potential to one of the best in his position in the country has been really pleasing.

“To see him work hard for the club and pick up 200 appearances since joining us is massively satisfying and something we’re all immensely proud of.”